“Steve brings extensive industry expertise, as well as a different strategic approach to how AIB International can drive and inspire the global food and beverage industry,” said Andre Biane, President and CEO of AIB International. “His international sales successes in the food service industry will be a ‘shot in the arm’ that helps propel AIB International into its Centennial year in 2019.”

Mr. Robert has more than 14 years of experience in the food service channel, having been a senior sales leader with multiple premier food equipment and service companies. Most recently, he was the Global Vice President of Corporate Accounts with the Food Safety and Brand Standards Division of EcoSure. He also has considerable international experience, having executed strategic customer acquisitions in emerging global markets such as China. In addition to working in the food industry, Mr. Robert has worked in the financial services sector.

“As AIB International redefines itself in 2019 I look forward to listening closely to our clients and delivering on their needs,” Mr. Robert said. “Working with an international organization that truly protects the food supply every day is an honor, and I am confident that we can continue adapting to serve our industry.”

Mr. Robert lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with his wife, Michelle and their daughter, Grace.

FSNS Adds New Food Testing Laboratory

Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) has opened a new analytical laboratory for the food and consumables industry in the central region of the United States. The lab is located in Greeley, Col, and will conduct microbiological tests for the food industry. The laboratory also contains a training room for FSNS education classes and customer use.

“We are anxious to have our customers tour this incredible laboratory,” said FSNS CEO John Bellinger. “In addition to this great facility, we have an excellent staff led by Julie Tritt, our laboratory manager. Julie has been with FSNS for 10 years and is an excellent microbiologist and manager.”

For more information or to tour the facility, contact the lab at 888-525-9788, 8750 20th Street, Greeley, CO 80634, or info@fsns.com.

Tech Solutions Are Elevating Food Safety in Manufacturing

The culture of food safety is strong and intensely positive in food manufacturing – seemingly more so than in other areas of the food industry. There’s great sensitivity to avoiding allergens, bacteria, and various other potential pathogens, which is critically important when manufacturing safer foods. Manufacturers are very motivated to avoid recalls – the cost of recalls is far greater for manufacturers than other food business sectors, like restaurants. In addition, particularly in meat and dairy processing, the regulatory apparatus can be present on a daily basis. That constant pressure results in a culture that values and prioritizes food safety.

While the food safety culture is strong in most food manufacturing businesses, these companies are still wrestling with the idea of adopting technical and digital solutions that could help elevate food safety throughout the supply chain. The newest, most innovative tools have not yet penetrated manufacturing specifically – or the food industry in general.

The challenge for overhauling food safety in manufacturing is the entrenched belief that all things need to integrate with ancient ERP systems. The reality is that food safety runs quite independently in most manufacturing organizations. After all, food safety is based on internal auditing, and food manufacturers are (for the most part) committed to ensuring compliance.

But technology could help manufacturers – and the foods they manage – become even safer. Having a strong, positive food safety culture – as so many manufacturers do – is an important and significant first step. The next critical step is to elevate their systems that they currently run on paper. Digital tools will help these businesses do an even better, safer, more accurate and efficient job with their food safety processes.

There are flaws with safety systems that rely largely on paper and pencils. Most notably, it’s impossible to integrate and analyze critical data when using paper. It can be challenging – in the event of a security breach or possible recall – to locate specific paper records from file cabinets, cardboard boxes or stacks of paperwork in somebody’s office. And the incidents of “pencil whipping,” or cheating on inspections, is prevalent within the food industry, as much as we all want to believe that’s not true.

Of course, paper systems don’t integrate with ERP technology, but there is a deep belief within the food manufacturing industry that any new technologies should assimilate with this system. This makes the procurement of lower cost, highly efficient point solutions more complicated and expensive. Therefore, this reduces adoptions. And, as a result, companies continue to rely on antiquated, outdated, inefficient and inaccurate paper systems around something as critically important as food safety.

What’s the solution? Food manufacturers need to recognize how technology can help boost their food safety initiatives, protocols and even improve their food safety culture. They need to embrace and adopt technologies to help them do their jobs better, more accurately and more safely. It's possible to acquire specialized food manufacturing technologies that rapidly leapfrog existing systems.

All food businesses should diligently, collaboratively and consistently protect the safety of our foods, and should take the following steps to do so:

Ditch the paper. A huge problem with paper records (including QA checklists) is that they can be forged – a problem that runs rampant within the food industry. Busy (or lazy) employees often cheat on long, tedious safety checklists because they feel like they don’t have the time (or the motivation) to complete them correctly. This “pencil whipping” poses a real threat to food safety, as managers erroneously believe that safety checks have been completed correctly – when they often haven’t been completed at all. In today’s high-tech world, it’s astounding that most food businesses still use antiquated paper and pencil systems to manage food safety standards, including inspections, audits and training. Transitioning to tech tools will boost food safety tremendously. Many manufacturing business owners resist technology, believing (erroneously) that shifting to digital tools will be overwhelming, expensive, complicated and/or intimidating. The reverse is actually true. Current tech solutions are affordable, attainable and easy to use. The first step could be as simple as providing digital safety checklists and/or food safety training reminders on employees’ smartphones.

Use data to drive decisions. Another challenge with paper records is that it makes it difficult – even impossible – to collect, integrate and analyze data that’s critical to food safety efforts. As mentioned previously, paper safety checks are often done haphazardly – if they’re even done at all. Once employees “check the boxes” on their paper checklists, their supervisors won’t know that they skipped the safety inspection – boosting the possibility for a security breach, recall or foodborne illness outbreak. But what if manufacturers held their employees more accountable? What if they required time-stamped photos or video proof that safety checks were completed? What if they provided short, digital checklists that weren’t cumbersome, so employees could complete them – even on a busy shift? And what if manufacturers (and other food businesses) collected, integrated and analyzed safety data on a regular – and more accurate – basis? Then, they could make smarter decisions. They could also spot – and solve – potential problems before they become liabilities – and before tainted foods were delivered, sold and served.

Embrace tech solutions. Human error is inevitable, even in businesses that have strong food safety cultures and knowledgeable staff. An employee may forget to close the walk-in-cooler door, or inadvertently hold foods at improper temps. The newest tech tools – such as sensors – are highly effective in keeping foods safer by recognizing events (i.e., cooler door open) that could cause food safety breaches. Food manufacturers should re-examine their systems, using automated options and technology to reduce potential food safety issues before they become true risks.

Embrace a food safety mindset. For the most part, food manufacturers take food safety seriously and could serve as role models for the rest of the industry. Company leaders should continue emphasizing that food safety is a non-negotiable priority and demonstrating that it’s engrained in their company culture. Leaders that prioritize food safety training, demonstrate its importance, and explain the reasoning behind the protocols will maximize compliance and have better outcomes.

Food safety in manufacturing involves detailed inspections coupled with well executed corrective actions that are mandated and completed. Software makes it much easier to follow through on the CAPA requirements and makes the actual inspection process decidedly faster, more efficient, more accurate and safer. Manufacturers – along with everyone else within the food industry – must take food safety seriously, and evolve accordingly, using every tool at our disposal to keep our foods (and our businesses) safer and healthier.

2019 Food Safety Summit to Offer Four Days of Education Sessions to Address Emerging Issues

The Food Safety Summit has announced the education program for its 21st annual conference and trade show May 6-9 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The program will feature sessions led by industry thought leaders; a keynote presentation by Michael Taylor, co-chair of the Stop Foodborne Illness board and Former Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine for FDA; eight certificate/certification courses; the 7th Annual Town Hall; and opportunities for community discussions. For the full program, visit www.foodsafetysummit.com.

"For the past 20 years, the Food Safety Summit has been the one event developed by the industry for the industry where professionals learn from their peers about cutting edge solutions to address emerging issues throughout the supply chain and the food safety community and see the latest technological advances offered by leading vendors," said Scott Wolters, director, Tradeshows & Conferences, BNP Media, producers of the event. "Attendees to the 2019 Summit will once again be able to gain certification in courses, network with their peers and industry-leading speakers, and hear a thought-provoking keynote by Michael Taylor, as well as from the food safety leaders from the FDA, USDA, CDC and AFDO."

On Wednesday, May 8, Michael Taylor, co-chair of the Stop Foodborne Illness Board and former deputy commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine for FDA, will discuss What Will Drive Food Safety Progress? Taylor will offer his insight on the mix of events, consumer expectations, industry leadership, technological innovation and public policy that will drive future food safety progress.

"The world of food safety hasn't been the same since the Jack in the Box outbreak 25 years ago triggered change in how both industry and government understand their responsibility to prevent foodborne illness. The process of change in policy and practices has been gradual but sustained and driven forward by other catalytic outbreaks and contamination incidents - from peanuts and produce to melamine," Taylor said. "The result is today's significant alignment among government, industry and consumers on the goal of prevention and the modern practices that can achieve it. Nevertheless, preventable illness and death from foodborne hazards remains an unsolved public health problem and threat to consumer confidence in the food supply. Join me for this presentation as we discuss how to take food safety to the next level without waiting for tragic events to drive us there."

The Summit will kick off on Monday, May 6, with eight certification and certificate courses. New for 2019 are the full 2.5 day Seafood HACCP Training, Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training and IA Conducting Vulnerability Assessments Course. The five returning courses are Professional Food Safety Auditor Training, Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS), HACCP Training, Preventive Controls for Human Foods, and Foreign Supplier Verification. New for this year, the North Central Association of Food & Drug Officials (NC AFDO) will have its annual meeting.

More than 1,700 food safety professionals attend the summit's education sessions. The 2019 program will offer on a wide range of topics affecting industry professionals including blockchain technology, innovative social media and digital tools, whole genome sequencing, prop 65, third-party accreditation, the Sanitary Transportation Food Act, and much more. From 10:30 am - 2:30 pm, there will be dedicated exhibit hall time for attendees to learn about new solutions; engage in small group discussions in the Community Hub; attend free presentations by food safety experts in the Community Learning Lounge, on the Solutions Stages, and in the Tech Tent; enjoy lunch; and network with peers.

The exhibit hall at the Food Safety Summit has proven to be an essential resource for attendees, bringing them the opportunity to meet with leading companies introducing the latest products and technologies in food safety. Click here to view the 2019 exhibitor list. Space is filling up fast and there are limited spaces available for exhibitors. Interested companies can contact Kim Hansen at hansenk@bnpmedia.com with any questions. To register for the summit, visit https://www.foodsafetystrategies.com/food-safety-summit.

Banerjee Joins GFSI as Senior Manager for U.S. and Canada

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has announced the addition of Rishi Banerjee as GFSI senior manager for the US and Canada. According to GFSI, this represents a significant step in GFSI's ongoing strategy to further implementation at a regional level while advancing harmonization at the global level. Meanwhile, the opening of this senior position dedicated to GFSI’s efforts in North America is a strong signal of the region’s importance in the advancement of food safety globally.

Banerjee will join the CGF’s Washington D.C. office, a base to further GFSI’s partnerships with both with regulators and food safety leaders from across the country. “With the US/Canada region being so critical, I am truly excited about the potential for growth,” Banerjee said. “I’m looking forward to building on the existing relationships we have with stakeholders and forging new ones. As new Senior Manager, I’m excited to be the go-to person for the region, improving on operational efficiency.”

Banerjee is a well-known figure in the food and regulatory space, joining GFSI as an experienced government affairs and policy professional based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He has a proven track record of fostering public-private partnerships, while his background in microbiology, food industry and regulatory agencies has allowed him to support advocacy initiatives relating to food safety, nutrition and environmental regulations.

Prior to joining the CGF, Banerjee served as consulting manager at Savan Group, a management consulting firm, where he worked with numerous federal agencies to advise their rulemaking activities. He has held both technical and policy positions at FiscalNote, the American Frozen Food Institute, and USDA.

GFSI is powered by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a global industry network working with its 400+ member companies to support Better Lives Through Better Business. It brings together key actors of the food industry to collaboratively drive continuous improvement in food safety management systems around the world with a vision of safe food for consumers everywhere. The GFSI community works on a volunteer basis and is composed of the world's leading food safety experts from retail, manufacturing and food service companies, as well as international organizations, governments, academia and service providers to the global food industry. www.mygfsi.com